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Sarasota County high school students to participate in mock election

(SARASOTA, FL, Oct 15, 2004) - Hundreds of Sarasota County high school students will have an opportunity to experience firsthand the power of democracy when they take part in a mock election on their campuses the week of October 25-29.

Students at Booker High School, Cyesis, North Port High School, Pine View School, Riverview High School, Sarasota High School, Sarasota Military Academy, Venice High School, and West Coast School for Human Development will be able to vote for candidates for president, U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. They will also answer three ballot questions: 1) Do you think the draft should be reinstated? 2) Do you think the voting age should be lowered to 16? and 3) Do you think there should be an admission fee to use the skateboard park?

Students will cast their ballots on the iVotronic touch screen voting machines provided by Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent. Results will be released on November 3.

“Statistics show that people who have access to their county voting system prior to voting are twice as likely to go to the polls on Election Day,” Ms Dent said. “It is our hope that the mock elections will help to reverse the declining trend in voter turnout among 18- to 24-year olds and engage our youth more actively in the electoral process,” she added.

The mock election and ballot have been planned and organized by the SOE office, Community Youth Development (CYD), the League of Women Voters of Sarasota County (LWVSC), and the Sarasota County school district, in partnership. The mock election is the final in a series of events organized and/or supported this year by the partners to educate and engage students prior to the November 2 General Election. Party Party, held at Phillippi Estate Park in August, featured a panel of students questioning political party chairmen about their respective platforms, while Teens Tackle Politics, at the Landings last month, had students questioning candidates directly about their positions on a number of issues.